The Michigan Insider

In an episode entirely devoted to listener questions, we tackle a number of topics related to Michigan football.

First, we look at Michigan's cornerback depth and how it shakes out a couple weeks before fall camp begins. Along the way, we look at the younger members of the Wolverines' secondary, and who could be a dark horse to emerge this season. We also take a. peek at who might start at the safety position opposite Josh Metellus.

Then, we look at Shea Patterson, how well he did last season and how he could improve this season. We also discuss his backups, and how Michigan can help itself down the road by making sure all three are happy.

To close the show, we answer some quick-hitting recruiting questions, while also discussing which non-rivalry games we are the most excited to cover this season.

Answering two questions from our listeners, we discuss Michigan football players we feel are underrated along with things we might consider changing about the recruiting process.

First, we look at which Wolverines aren't getting enough hype or attention. The list ranged from players stepping into new starting roles, surprise contenders in position battles, players who redshirted last season, who were switching positions or didn't get a fair shake from fans last season. After breaking down our initial choices for most underrated, we also dig into other contenders and explore how a player could become overlooked and underrated.

Then, we look at things we would change about the football recruiting process. Though an informal discussion, some of the issues discuss include contact periods, how frequently coaches can contact players, the oddity of soft commitments and non-committable offers, the recruiting calendar and more.

In the wake of German wing Franz Wagner's commitment and signing to play for the Michigan basketball team this upcoming season, we break down what the Wolverines' first commitment under Juwan Howard means for Michigan. 

First, we look at how good Wagner is, what he's good at, where he can grow his game and how he can improve. We contextualize what can be read from his play in Germany, and how it could translate as a freshman. We also look at his fit, and how critical earning his commitment was for the Wolverines after a deflating offseason.

Then, we turn our attention to Michigan's team, taking an early glimpse at how the starting lineup and rotation look with Wagner in the fold. We also answer listener questions on both who might lead Michigan in scoring next season and who the Wolverines most need to step up this offseason.

We close by taking a look at Michigan's expectations for next season now that it has Wagner on its team, and more on what the pledge can do for the Wolverines.

In this episode, we break down each and every one of Michigan's commitments in the last week and a half, which has totaled 11 pickups. The flurry may continue, but we decided to dig in to the 11 who have pledged.

Starting toward the bottom of the 247Sports Composite rankings, we first look at defensive end and son of former NFL lineman Kris Jenkins, Massachusetts athlete Eamonn Dennis, Brooklyn-based VIPER William Mohan and New Jersey defensive end Aaron Lewis. Next, we look at offensive linemen Jeffrey Persi and Reece Atteberry, with a brief look at offensive line recruiting. 

Then, we move on to the four-star Michigan recruits, looking at the Wolverines' influx in speed on both sides of the ball in Roman Wilson, Blake Corum, Jordan Morant, Kalel Mullings and A.J. Henning. Along the way, we discuss the recruiting battles and likely fit early on for each commitment.

Taking a break from our usual rotation of football, basketball and recruiting, this episode is solely focused on the Michigan baseball team, as we break down five reasons behind the Wolverines' epic postseason run to their first College World Series appearance since 1984 and now just their fourth-ever top-four national finish in Omaha.

Mixing both macro and micro factors into Michigan's success, we begin by looking at Michigan's impressive recruiting run, and how that has developed under Michigan coach Erik Bakich. In addition to the overall talent, we also look at the Wolverines' personality types and identity, how they came to boast such a stellar pitching staff, unheralded veterans, Michigan's ability to make clutch players and stay composed, as well as the impact of the Wolverines' coaching.

In a recruiting-focused episode, we break down Michigan football's major recruiting visit weekend. Attempting to explore all angles, we begin by looking at the top targets for the Wolverines who are visiting during the weekend — one receiver and one offensive lineman. We then look at the next tier of recruits who will be in town, handicapping some of the recruiting battles that are brewing and other teams to keep an eye on.

We also expend out analysis, looking at what's working for Michigan in the 2020 recruiting cycle, what the timeline of the class might look like and how fans can follow along and determine for themselves if the upcoming weekend is a win.

In this episode, we break down Michigan’s recent recruiting run in the 2020 class, breaking down the Wolverines’ three recent commitments — offensive tackle Zak Zinter, linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green and defensive end Braiden McGregor — and what the trio could bring to Michigan both in a football sense and a recruiting sense. 

We also look ahead to what could be a busy month and change for the Wolverines’ 2020 class and what to watch for.

The second half of the episode is spent looking at Michigan's 2019 recruiting class, many of which will arrive on campus this week or next to begin training in June. 

We revisit some of the recruits who haven’t been discussed too much since signing nearly six months ago, breaking down early contenders to land two-deep roles, dark-horse recruits and what the rest of the class can do this summer to improve their trajectory. 

In the hours following reports that Miami Heat assistant and former Michigan basketball star Juwan Howard would take over the vacant Wolverines' head-coaching job, we discuss some of our early reactions to the hire. 

We look at how hiring Howard grades for Michigan and what went into hiring him over other candidates. We also look at the key challenges that Howard faces in his first head-coaching job and first coaching gig in college. We break down some of the early recruiting pushes Howard will have to make, as well as looking at how we would handle retaining some of Michigan's key assistant coaches.

Finally, we close by taking a peek at the coming months for Howard, what that could look like and also gauge just what kind of team he is inheriting for the 2019-20 season.

Taking a break from the ongoing discussion about the Michigan basketball team's search for a new head coach, we take a look at the Michigan football team, breaking down Michigan's 10 best players following spring practices and heading into the 2019 offseason. Combining what players have done as well as what their potential is in 2019, we dissect impact players who could carry the Wolverines this fall.

First, we take a look at 5-10 names of players who just missed the cut due to a lack of experience, lack of prominent role or other factors. and dissect which players have the most potential to prove us wrong with their play on the field this fall. Then, we look at some of the players at the beginning of the list, how far they have come and what could be in store for them this season.

The middle of our list includes several soon-to-be third-year starters, and we look at how important step forwards for them this season could be toward exceeding expectations. Finally, we reveal our picks for the best players on the team, discussing why we view them so highly and what expectations there are for them this fall. We also look at some trends on the list, and what that means for the Wolverines.

In an emergency podcast, Lorenz and Shaw breaking down the stunning breaking news that saw Michigan basketball coach John Beilein leave the Wolverines to become head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They break down how shocking the news was to us, why leaving for Cleveland and the NBA overall does and does not make sense and what some of the key differences are.

The two also look at John Beilein's legacy, breaking down how and why he was so successful at Michigan, unpacking some of the more impressive things he accomplished in 12 years and what's going to make him so hard to replace.

Finally, they crack open their list of potential replacements, taking a peak at which big- and small-name coaches could be good fits for the Wolverines and how Michigan should approach the search.